Although the elephant is seen internationally as a religious symbol in countries such as Thailand and India, this has not stopped the cruel ritual of “elephant crushing.” Crushing involves disciplining untamed elephants for domestication using methods like putting the elephants in cages, physically punishing them with objects, and other forms of negative reinforcement. Crushing is known as an age-old ritual, and comes in many forms and varies from one country to another.

Crushing is a common practice in India and Thailand, and the method there involves an elephant being placed in a cage and tied up with ropes to keep the elephant from moving. This restricts any form of kicking or head turning. The perpetrators believe that the method will “crush the elephant’s spirit” and make it learn obedience, so the animal becomes submissive to its owner.

National Geographic reported incidents where Thai owners used nails to stab the ears and feet of elephants undergoing crushing. Other reports highlight the beating of elephants with sticks and chains, and even starvation of elephants. Trainers believe that in order for the elephants to listen, the animals have to be scared of their trainers. They believe that instilling fear and pain in elephants will make controlling them easier.

The practice of crushing elephants is not only inhumane, but also cruel and unnecessary. When these rituals take place, the elephants are tied up and must try their hardest to fend for themselves while being restrained by their owners. This heartbreaking ritual deserves national and international attention. Although there are campaigns and conservation groups that are fighting to ban crushing, there needs to be more done.

The degree of barbaric behavior that elephants undergoing crushing are subjected to varies, but the practice is common throughout much of Asia. As the leaders of India and Thailand, please put a stop to this madness. Elephants are majestic creatures that need to be free, not compliant and submissive.

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I am so surprised to see these BOTH countries have very serious religious beliefs and yet the way they allow the subhumans to torture & abuse Elephants is beyond me. India’s one of the Heroes of all time, said: that the Greatness of a Nation & it’s Moral progress can be judged by the way it’s Animals are Treated” So yet the Indian governing bodies who rules at present do not care a hoot about these morals. They allow any Barbarian to abuse & torture these majestic & intelligent Elephants like slaves. Then the Thailand as a Buddhist country how on earth that you people allow Elephants to be beaten up so heavily worst than even slaves? What do you all think? The people are stupid and do not understand what the Thai scumbags were allowed to do against innocent animals? Wake up Government wake up. It is high time to get the act together and bring forth the new rules to BAN such massive brutality showering upon helpless innocent elephants whom these subhumans snatches from their mothers in the jungles. Bring those morons to justice. Punish those evil & ruthless so called cold blooded humans who have no empathy what so ever in regards to animals. The best punishment should be to hang them in public. Or to tie them into the poles with tied ropes & whip them the same way they used to whip these defenceless animals ruthlessly. No wonder those countries never get any god’s blessings as the way it should be. The country has got more violent evil barbarians than the few good people. It is time to look into this massive embarrasment.